Behind the facade
by ConstantlyContradictory
Summary: Luna Lovegood is loony, the epitome of innocence and being a werido. There is no questioning her exuberance, and the basis of her faith in that which doesn't exist. That's just the way Luna is!... right?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This was originally written for the "Not for the faint of heart challenge" almost a year ago, but it was really shitty so I rewrote and edited it. Enjoy!**

_**WARNING: Domestic Abuse**_

* * *

Luna smiled weakly, from her corner on the floor

"I'm sorry daddy. Do you think maybe" she hesitated a moment, "I should make some tea?"

She wanted to scream at him, tell him to stop. She wished she could project her thoughts like her muggle book hero could; telepathically stop him from opening yet another bottle of liquid poison and chugging it down.

_'That's enough! Put the bottle down! Don't you see what you are doing? What you've become! Please! Please, just stop!'_

Luna shook her head, trying to clear away the blasphemous thoughts. Merlin forbid she accidentally said something out loud and and he heard her.

She flashed back to the times when she talked back, when she spoke her mind. To the times when her father got so angry that she couldn't get up, let alone make him tea or help him when he inevitably drank too much and fell unconscious. Those were dark times, times when it took all she had to get up in the morning and hide the scars, to pretend nothing was wrong.

Luna swallowed thickly, now was not the time to think of those times.

A roar of obscenities, a fist to the face, and a few drunken kicks later, Luna made some tea.

* * *

As the summer progressed, nothing changed other than the time it took for Xenophilius to fall unconscious and the height of Luna's hopelessness. All too soon, Xenophilius didn't fall unconscious, Luna did. All too soon, Xeno had more rage coursing through him than Luna could muster hope.

The little blonde girl wondered what someone else in her place would do, what 'normal' people would do. She had no clue... Luna didn't really have many friends; she didn't know what 'normal' even was!

Hermione would probably report it. The question was, to who? The corrupted ministry? To Dumbledore, who was caught up in his own larger battle?

Ginny would fight back, she would. Send Xeno off with a good bat-bogey hex and then be off to live with her mother or who ever she wanted to stay with.

She guessed Neville would keep quiet, he would be strong.

Luna didn't think anyone would believe her and she could never rat her father out. She didn't have a mom to save her, she only had Xenophilius. So Luna decided to be like Neville; strong, beautiful, Neville.

Xenophilius Lovegood was a good father, when he was sober at least. He taught Luna everything she knew about Wracklesprouts and Snorlacks, and Crumplehorns and all the other magical creatures people didn't pay attention to. He taught her how to see the magic, the beauty in everything, how to make jewelry with anything, but most importantly, the power of hope and how to be happy.

Luna figured this was a test. If she could just be happy throughout all of this, she would pass and she would have her father back. If she could just believe in Xeno long enough, she could get father back.

Luna smiled softly, making sure not to split her swollen lip or aggravate her bruised cheek, and went to make more tea.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This is completely unedited bullshit I wrote in the middle of the night, I don't know where exactly in the timeline of the story it fits, so I'll leave that up to you.  
**

**Enjoy!**

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It wasn't often that Luna cried.

She was strong, for a whole year she had been strong. Luna had not shed a single tear for herself for as long as she could remember, but now, as she sat alone in her empty train compartment, she slipped.

It started as a casual observation, how lonely she was! Was the Umgublular Slashkilter infestation really so thick that no one else in this crowed train dare accompany her?

Luna wished she could see the Umgublulars, so she could prove to herself that it wasn't because no one liked her, to prove to herself that it wasn't because she herself was a proficient people repellent.

The blonde girl shook her head, she had no time for self pity. She had to stay strong; she had to stay strong for Xeno. She had to save him from himself.

_'Father_,' she thought, dreamy blue eyes darkening ever so slightly to a pained and dull grey

She had taken to calling him Xeno, to remind herself that he's just a man. A human, like everyone, because thinking of him as father hurt too much, father was a loving man. Father loved her. Father could do no wrong.

She wondered if he was okay, alone in their windy hilltop house.

_'I'm coming father, just wait a little longer.'_

She wondered if he missed her, if maybe he wouldn't hit her this time. She wondered if maybe this time she was quieter, better, a better daughter, maybe he would get better; if maybe she could save him.

A bitter giggle cut through the air and Luna jumped, eyes widening comically. Was that really her? The blonde's face screwed up, her heart wrenching and mind bending with the effort of holding it together.

Maybe she was broken, maybe she would never be good enough, maybe that was why no one liked her, not even her father.

Luna sniffed, rubbing her sleeve roughly over her watery eyes and shook herself. There was no time for self-pity in a world like this. She must stay happy, she must stay as the loony loony Luna, she must stay strong because only than could she save Xeno. Only than could she save herself. Only then could she save anyone at all.

The train whistled shrilly, signaling the end of the journey, the end of a year of Hogwarts. Luna smiled, focused on where she supposed a stray Slashkilter would be, and slipped out of her compartment.


End file.
